Multilayer electronic component

Abstract

To provide a highly reliable multilayer electronic component.SOLUTION: A multilayer electronic component includes a first surface and a second surface facing each other in a first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface connected to the first surface and the second surface and facing each other in a second direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface connected to the first surface to the fourth surface and facing each other in a third direction. The multilayer electronic component includes: a body including a dielectric layer 111, internal electrodes 121 and 122 arranged alternately with the dielectric layers in the first direction, and auxiliary electrodes 121d and 122d spaced from the internal electrodes and arranged on both sides of the internal electrodes in the third direction; and an external electrode arranged on the body. The auxiliary electrodes include oxidized regions containing oxides at their ends in the third direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a multilayer electronic component. [Background technology]

[0002] Multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), a type of multilayer electronic component, are chip-type capacitors that are mounted on printed circuit boards of various electronic products, such as visual devices like liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and plasma display panels (PDPs), computers, smartphones, and mobile phones, and serve to charge and discharge electricity.

[0003] Multilayer ceramic capacitors have the advantages of being small in size, yet having high capacitance, and being easy to mount, and can be used as components in a variety of electronic devices. As various electronic devices such as computers and mobile devices become smaller and have higher output, there is an increasing demand for smaller multilayer ceramic capacitors with higher capacitance.

[0004] Furthermore, as applications to electrical components for automobiles increase, high reliability in various environments is required.

[0005] Multilayer ceramic capacitors are generally manufactured by stacking and compressing ceramic green sheets on which internal electrodes are printed, followed by cutting and sintering processes. A step occurs between the area where the internal electrodes are printed and the area where the internal electrodes are not printed due to the thickness of the internal electrode pattern, and the step becomes larger as the number of layers increases.

[0006] In addition, the difference in material filling rate between the areas where the internal electrodes are printed and those where they are not printed causes thermal stress to be concentrated in the areas where the internal electrodes are not printed due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient during the cooling process after sintering, which can lead to cracks and delamination. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] One of the various objects of the present invention is to provide a multilayer electronic component with excellent reliability.

[0008] One of various objects of the present invention is to provide a multilayer electronic component with an improved level difference in the marginal portion.

[0009] One of the various objects of the present invention is to provide a multilayer electronic component in which the occurrence of cracks and delamination is suppressed.

[0010] However, the object of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned contents, and can be more easily understood in the course of describing specific embodiments of the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] A multilayer electronic component according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a main body including first and second surfaces facing each other in a first direction, third and fourth surfaces connected to the first and second surfaces and facing each other in a second direction, and fifth and sixth surfaces connected to the first, second, and fourth surfaces and facing each other in a third direction, the main body including dielectric layers, internal electrodes alternately arranged with the dielectric layers in the first direction, and auxiliary electrodes spaced from the internal electrodes and arranged on both sides of the internal electrodes in the third direction; and external electrodes arranged on the main body, wherein the auxiliary electrodes may include oxidized regions including an oxide at their ends in the third direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] One of the various effects of the present invention is that the reliability of the multilayer electronic component can be improved by arranging auxiliary electrodes including oxidized regions on both sides of the internal electrodes in the width direction.

[0013] One of the various effects of the present invention is that the step in the marginal portion can be improved.

[0014] One of the various effects of the present invention is that it can suppress the occurrence of cracks and delamination.

[0015] However, the various beneficial advantages and effects of the present invention are not limited to the above, but can be more easily understood in the course of describing specific embodiments of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a multilayer electronic component according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the II' cross section of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the II-II′ cross section of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the K1 region in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a first internal electrode and a first auxiliary electrode. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a second internal electrode and a second auxiliary electrode. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the main body of FIG. 1. [Figure 8] This is an image of the II-II' cross section of Figure 1 scanned with a scanning electron microscope. [Figure 9] 9 is a magnified scanned image of the auxiliary electrode in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 1 is an image of a WT cross section of Comparative Example 1 scanned with a scanning electron microscope. [Figure 11] 1 is an image of a WT cross section of Comparative Example 2 scanned with a scanning electron microscope. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various different forms, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention are provided to more completely explain the present invention to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the shapes and sizes of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity, and elements designated by the same reference numerals in the drawings are the same elements.

[0018] In the drawings, parts not relevant to the description are omitted in order to clearly explain the present invention, and the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown for convenience of explanation, so the present invention is not necessarily limited to those shown. Furthermore, components having the same function within the same concept will be described using the same reference numerals. Furthermore, throughout the specification, when a part "comprises" a certain component, it does not mean that other components are excluded, but that the part may further include other components, unless otherwise specified.

[0019] In the drawings, the first direction can be defined as the stacking direction or thickness (T) direction, the second direction as the length (L) direction, and the third direction as the width (W) direction.

[0020] Multilayer electronic components FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a multilayer electronic component according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the I-I' section of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the II-II' section of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of region K1 of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a first internal electrode and a first auxiliary electrode, FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a second internal electrode and a second auxiliary electrode, and FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the main body of FIG. 1.

[0021] A multilayer electronic component 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 7. Note that a multilayer ceramic capacitor (hereinafter referred to as "MLCC") will be described as an example of a multilayer electronic component, but the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to various multilayer electronic components that use ceramic materials, such as inductors, piezoelectric elements, varistors, thermistors, etc.

[0022] A multilayer electronic component 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first surface 1 and a second surface 2 facing each other in a first direction, a third surface 3 and a fourth surface 4 connected to the first and second surfaces and facing each other in a second direction, and a fifth surface 5 and a sixth surface 6 connected to the first to fourth surfaces and facing each other in a third direction, the multilayer electronic component 100 including a main body 110 including a dielectric layer 111, internal electrodes 121 and 122 arranged alternately with the dielectric layers in the first direction, and auxiliary electrodes 121d and 122d spaced from the internal electrodes and arranged on both sides of the internal electrodes in the third direction, and external electrodes 131 and 132 arranged on the main body, and the auxiliary electrodes may include oxidized regions 121d1, 121d2, 122d1, and 122d2 containing oxides at their ends in the third direction.

[0023] Multilayer ceramic capacitors are generally manufactured by stacking and compressing ceramic green sheets on which internal electrodes are printed, followed by cutting and sintering processes. A step occurs between the area where the internal electrodes are printed and the area where the internal electrodes are not printed due to the thickness of the internal electrode pattern, and the step becomes larger as the number of layers increases.

[0024] In addition, the difference in material filling rate between the areas where the internal electrodes are printed and those where they are not printed causes thermal stress to be concentrated in the areas where the internal electrodes are not printed due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient during the cooling process after sintering, which can lead to cracks and delamination.

[0025] According to one embodiment of the present invention, auxiliary electrodes are disposed on both sides of the internal electrode in the width direction, and the auxiliary electrodes include an oxidized region containing an oxide at the end in the third direction, thereby suppressing cracks and delamination.

[0026] Hereinafter, each of the components included in the multilayer electronic component 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0027] The main body 110 may be formed by alternately stacking dielectric layers 111 and internal electrodes 121 and 122 .

[0028] The specific shape of the body 110 is not particularly limited, but as shown, the body 110 may have a hexahedral shape or a shape similar thereto. Due to shrinkage of the ceramic powder contained in the body 110 during the firing process, the body 110 may have a substantially hexahedral shape, although not a hexahedral shape with perfectly straight lines.

[0029] The main body 110 may have a first surface 1 and a second surface 2 facing in a first direction, a third surface 3 and a fourth surface 4 connected to the first surface 1 and the second surface 2 and facing in the second direction, and a fifth surface 5 and a sixth surface 6 connected to the first surface 1 and the second surface 2 and connected to the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 and facing in the third direction. The first surface 1 may be a mounting surface that is disposed facing the substrate when mounted on the substrate.

[0030] Since marginal regions where the internal electrodes 121, 122 are not disposed overlap the dielectric layer 111, steps are generated due to the thickness of the internal electrodes 121, 122, and the corners connecting the first surface and the third to fifth surfaces and / or the corners connecting the second surface and the third to fifth surfaces may have a shape that shrinks toward the center in the first direction of the main body 110 when viewed from the first surface or the second surface. Alternatively, due to shrinkage behavior during the sintering process of the main body, the corners connecting the first surface 1 and the third to sixth surfaces 3, 4, 5, 6 and / or the corners connecting the second surface 2 and the third to sixth surfaces 3, 4, 5, 6 may have a shape that shrinks toward the center in the first direction of the main body 110 when viewed from the first surface or the second surface. Alternatively, in order to prevent chipping defects, etc., the corners connecting each surface of the main body 110 may be rounded by a separate process, so that the corners connecting the first surface and the third to sixth surfaces and / or the corners connecting the second surface and the third to sixth surfaces may have a rounded shape.

[0031] The plurality of dielectric layers 111 forming the main body 110 may be integrated in a fired state to such an extent that the boundaries between adjacent dielectric layers 111 are difficult to see without a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The number of dielectric layers to be stacked is not particularly limited and may be determined taking into consideration the size of the multilayer electronic component. For example, the main body may be formed by stacking 400 or more dielectric layers.

[0032] The dielectric layer 111 can be formed by manufacturing a ceramic slurry containing ceramic powder, an organic solvent, and a binder, applying and drying the ceramic slurry on a carrier film to provide a ceramic green sheet, and then firing the ceramic green sheet. The ceramic powder is not particularly limited as long as sufficient capacitance can be obtained. For example, barium titanate (BaTiO3)-based powder can be used as the ceramic powder. More specifically, as the ceramic powder, barium titanate (BaTiO3)-based powder, CaZrO3-based constant dielectric powder, etc. can be used. Even more specifically, the barium titanate (BaTiO3)-based powder can be BaTiO3, (Ba 1-x Ca x )TiO3(0 < x < 1), Ba(Ti 1-y Ca y )O3(0 < y < 1), (Ba 1-x Ca x )(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3(0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1), and Ba(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3(0 < y < 1), and one or more of them may be used. The CaZrO3-based constant dielectric powder may be (Ca 1-x Sr x )(Zr 1-y Ti y )O3(0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1).

[0033] Therefore, the dielectric layer 111 is BaTiO3, (Ba 1-x Ca x )TiO3(0 < x < 1), Ba(Ti 1-y Ca y )O3(0 < y < 1), (Ba 1-x Ca x )(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3(0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1), Ba(Ti 1-y Zr y )O3(0 < y < 1), and (Ca 1-x Sr x )(Zr 1-y Ti y)It may contain one or more of O3 (0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1). In one embodiment, the dielectric layer 111 may contain (Ca 1-x Sr x )(Zr 1-y Ti y )O3 (0 < x < 1, 0 < y < 1) as a main component.

[0034] On the other hand, when a magnetic material is applied to the main body 110 instead of the dielectric material, the multilayer electronic component can function as an inductor. The magnetic material may be, for example, ferrite and / or metal magnetic particles. When the multilayer electronic component functions as an inductor, the internal electrode may be a coil-type conductor.

[0035] Also, when a piezoelectric material is applied to the main body 110 instead of the dielectric material, the multilayer electronic component can function as a piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric material may be, for example, PZT (lead zirconate titanate).

[0036] Further, when a ZnO-based or SiC-based material is applied to the main body 110 instead of the dielectric material, the multilayer electronic component can function as a varistor, and when a spinel-based material is applied to the main body 110 instead of the dielectric material, the multilayer electronic component can function as a thermistor.

[0037] That is, the multilayer electronic component 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention can function not only as a multilayer ceramic capacitor but also as an inductor, a piezoelectric element, a varistor, or a thermistor by appropriately changing the material and structure of the main body 110.

[0038] The main body 110 may include a capacitance forming portion Ac that is disposed inside the main body 110 and in which a capacitance is formed by including a first internal electrode 121 and a second internal electrode 122 that are disposed opposite to each other with the dielectric layer 111 interposed therebetween, and cover portions 112 and 113 that are formed above and below the capacitance forming portion Ac in a first direction.

[0039] The capacitance forming portion Ac is a portion that contributes to forming the capacitance of the capacitor, and may be formed by repeatedly stacking a plurality of first and second internal electrodes 121, 122 with the dielectric layer 111 sandwiched therebetween.

[0040] The cover portions 112, 113 may include an upper cover portion 112 arranged above the capacitance generating portion Ac in the first direction, and a lower cover portion 113 arranged below the capacitance generating portion Ac in the first direction.

[0041] The upper cover part 112 and the lower cover part 113 can be formed by stacking a single dielectric layer or two or more dielectric layers in the thickness direction on the upper and lower surfaces of the capacitance forming part Ac, respectively, and basically serve to prevent damage to the internal electrodes due to physical or chemical stress.

[0042] The upper cover portion 112 and the lower cover portion 113 may not include an internal electrode and may include the same material as the dielectric layer 111 .

[0043] That is, the upper cover part 112 and the lower cover part 113 may include a ceramic material, for example, a barium titanate (BaTiO3) based ceramic material.

[0044] On the other hand, there is no need to particularly limit the thickness of the cover portions 112 and 113. For example, the average thickness tc of the cover portions 112 and 113 may be 200 μm or less.

[0045] The average thickness tc of the cover portions 112, 113 means the size in the first direction, and may be the average value of the size in the first direction of the cover portions 112, 113 measured at five equally spaced points above or below the capacitance forming portion Ac.

[0046] Additionally, margin portions 114 and 115 may be arranged on the side surfaces of the capacitance forming portion Ac.

[0047] The margin portions 114, 115 may include a first margin portion 114 disposed on the fifth surface 5 of the main body 110 and a second margin portion 115 disposed on the sixth surface 6. In other words, the margin portions 114, 115 may be disposed on both end surfaces of the main body 110 in the width direction.

[0048] The margin portions 114, 115 may refer to the regions between both ends of the first and second internal electrodes 121, 122 and the boundary surface of the main body 110 in a cross-section of the main body 110 cut in the width-thickness WT direction, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0049] The margins 114 and 115 basically serve to prevent damage to the internal electrodes due to physical or chemical stress.

[0050] In the margin portions 114 and 115, auxiliary electrodes 121d and 122d may be arranged.

[0051] The internal electrodes 121, 122 may include first and second internal electrodes 121, 122. The first and second internal electrodes 121, 122 may be alternately arranged to face each other across the dielectric layer 111 that constitutes the main body 110, and may be exposed from the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 of the main body 110, respectively.

[0052] The first internal electrode 121 may be spaced apart from the fourth surface 4 and exposed from the third surface 3, and the second internal electrode 122 may be spaced apart from the third surface 3 and exposed from the fourth surface 4. A first external electrode 131 may be disposed on the third surface 3 of the main body and connected to the first internal electrode 121, and a second external electrode 132 may be disposed on the fourth surface 4 of the main body and connected to the second internal electrode 122.

[0053] That is, the first internal electrode 121 is not connected to the second external electrode 132 but is connected to the first external electrode 131, and the second internal electrode 122 is not connected to the first external electrode 131 but is connected to the second external electrode 132. Therefore, the first internal electrode 121 may be formed at a predetermined distance from the fourth surface 4, and the second internal electrode 122 may be formed at a predetermined distance from the third surface 3. Furthermore, the first and second internal electrodes 121 and 122 may be disposed at a distance from the fifth and sixth surfaces of the main body 110.

[0054] The conductive metal contained in the internal electrodes 121, 122 may be one or more of Ni, Cu, Pd, Ag, Au, Pt, In, Sn, Al, Ti and alloys thereof, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0055] The average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 does not need to be particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.1 μm to 10 μm. The average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121, 122 does not need to be particularly limited, but may be, for example, 0.05 μm to 3.0 μm. The average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 and the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121, 122 can be set arbitrarily depending on the desired characteristics and application. For example, in small IT electronic components, in order to achieve miniaturization and high capacity, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 may be 0.4 μm or less, and the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121, 122 may be 0.4 μm or less.

[0056] The average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 and the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 refer to the size of the dielectric layer 111 and the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the first direction, respectively. The average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 and the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be measured by scanning cross sections of the body 110 in the first and second directions using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with a magnification of 10,000. More specifically, the average thickness td of the dielectric layer 111 can be measured at multiple points on one dielectric layer 111, for example, 30 points equally spaced in the second direction, and then averaged. The average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 can be measured at multiple points on one internal electrode 121 and 122, for example, 30 points equally spaced in the second direction, and then averaged. The 30 equally spaced points can be designated by a capacitance forming portion Ac. On the other hand, if such average values are measured for 10 dielectric layers 111 and 10 internal electrodes 121, 122, respectively, the average thickness td of the dielectric layers 111 and the average thickness te of the internal electrodes 121, 122 can be more generalized.

[0057] The auxiliary electrodes 121d, 122d may be spaced apart from the internal electrodes 121, 122 and disposed on both sides of the internal electrodes 121, 122 in the third direction. That is, the auxiliary electrodes 121d, 122d may be disposed in the margin portions 114, 115, or may be disposed on the same plane as the internal electrodes 121, 122. The auxiliary electrodes 121d, 122d disposed in the margin portions 114, 115 serve to reduce steps due to the thickness of the internal electrodes, thereby reducing thermal stress after sintering and suppressing crack formation in the margin portions.

[0058] The auxiliary electrodes 121d, 122d may include oxidized regions 121d1, 121d2, 122d1, and 122d2 containing oxide at their ends in the third direction. By including the oxidized regions 121d1, 121d2, 122d1, and 122d2 in the auxiliary electrodes 121d, 122d, the bonding strength with the dielectric layer 111 can be improved and the occurrence of cracks and delamination can be suppressed. Furthermore, the auxiliary electrodes 121d, 122d are disposed adjacent to the outer surface of the main body and may be vulnerable to moisture penetration, but by including the oxidized regions 121d1, 121d2, 122d1, and 122d2 in the auxiliary electrodes 121d, 122d, a decrease in reliability due to moisture penetration can be suppressed.

[0059] On the other hand, if an internal electrode pattern is printed on a ceramic green sheet and then a dielectric material is applied to the areas where the internal electrode pattern is not printed in order to reduce the step due to the thickness of the internal electrodes, an additional process of applying the dielectric material is required, which reduces productivity. In contrast, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary electrodes 121d and 122d can be formed by printing simultaneously with the internal electrode pattern without adding a separate process, thereby reducing the step due to the thickness of the internal electrodes without reducing productivity.

[0060] In one embodiment, the auxiliary electrodes 121d and 122d may have an average width in the third direction of Wd and the oxidized regions 121d1, 121d2, 122d1, and 122d2 may have an average width in the third direction of Wo, where Wo / Wd satisfies 0.09≦Wo / Wd≦0.5, thereby further improving the effect of the auxiliary electrodes in suppressing cracks and delamination.

[0061] If Wo / Wd is less than 0.09, the oxidized area is small, and the effect of suppressing the occurrence of cracks and delamination is insufficient. If Wo / Wd is more than 0.5, the internal electrodes may also be oxidized, and the capacity per unit volume of the multilayer electronic component may decrease.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 4, Wo may be the sum of the average width Wo1 in the third direction of the oxidized region 121d1 located at one end in the third direction and the average width Wo2 in the third direction of the oxidized region 121d2 located at the other end in the third direction.

[0063] On the other hand, the numerical range of Wd does not need to be particularly limited, and Wd may be, for example, 0.1 to 100 μm. In this case, Wo may be controlled so as to satisfy 0.09≦Wo / Wd≦0.5.

[0064] FIG. 8 is an image obtained by scanning the II-II' cross section of FIG. 1 with a scanning electron microscope, and FIG. 9 is an enlarged scanned image of the auxiliary electrode of FIG.

[0065] Referring to Figures 8 and 9, the method for measuring Wd and Wo will be described. Cross sections of the body cut at the center in the second direction in the first and third directions can be observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to measure Wd and Wo. As can be seen from Figure 9, an oxidized region is disposed at the edge of the auxiliary electrode of the present invention. In the SEM image, the oxidized region is observed to be darker than the non-oxidized region, making it possible to distinguish the oxidized region from the non-oxidized region with the naked eye. Therefore, the oxidized region can be distinguished using an image program, and the width Wo' of the oxidized region and the width Wd' of the auxiliary electrode can be measured.

[0066] As shown in Table 1 below, for each of the nine dummy electrodes, the width Wo' of the oxidized region and the width Wd' of the auxiliary electrode are measured to calculate Wo' / Wd', and then the arithmetic mean values of Wo', Wd', and Wo' / Wd' can be taken as Wo, Wd, and Wo / Wd, respectively.

[0067] [Table 1]

[0068] On the other hand, to confirm the effect of suppressing cracks and delamination by forming an oxidized region, the multilayer ceramic capacitor of Figure 8 was used as an example of the invention, and comparative examples 1 and 2 were prepared, which included an auxiliary electrode but did not have an oxidized region at the end of the auxiliary electrode in the third direction, and the occurrence of cracks was confirmed. The formation of an oxidized region in the auxiliary electrode was controlled by adjusting the firing conditions. The example of the invention was fired in a weakly reducing atmosphere, and comparative examples 1 and 2 were fired in a strongly reducing atmosphere.

[0069] The 26 samples of each of the invention example and comparative examples 1 and 2 were checked for the occurrence of cracks and delamination, and the number of samples in which cracks and delamination occurred is shown in Table 2 below.

[0070] The occurrence of cracks and delamination was confirmed by observing the cross sections of the main body in the first and third directions cut at the center of the second direction with an optical microscope. If cracks of 1 μm or more were observed or the gap between layers was 1 μm or more, the sample was judged to be defective, and the number of defective samples was recorded.

[0071] [Table 2]

[0072] Referring to Table 2, in the invention examples in which the auxiliary electrode included an oxidized region, no cracks or delamination occurred in any of the 26 sample chips.

[0073] In contrast, in Comparative Examples 1 and 2, in which the supporting electrode does not include an oxidized region, it can be confirmed that the incidence of cracks and delamination exceeds 60%.

[0074] FIG. 10 is an image of the WT cross section of Comparative Example 1 scanned with a scanning electron microscope, and FIG. 11 is an image of the WT cross section of Comparative Example 2 scanned with a scanning electron microscope.

[0075] As can be seen from Figures 10 and 11, in Comparative Examples 1 and 2, cracks of 1 µm or more are observed between the auxiliary electrode and the internal electrode, or the gap between layers is 1 µm or more.

[0076] In one embodiment, the oxidized region may be disposed at both one end and the other end of the auxiliary electrode in the third direction, but is not limited thereto, and in one embodiment, the oxidized region may be disposed at only one of the one end and the other end of the auxiliary electrode in the third direction.

[0077] In one embodiment, the area fraction of the oxide in the auxiliary electrode may be 10% or more and 40% or less. While the oxide may be partially contained in the region of the auxiliary electrode other than the oxidized region, the area fraction of the oxide in the region other than the oxidized region is limited, and thus the auxiliary electrode can form an auxiliary capacitance. For example, the area fraction of the oxide in the central portion of the auxiliary electrode may be less than 10%. Here, the central portion of the auxiliary electrode may refer to the region located in the center when the auxiliary electrode is divided into five equal parts in the third direction. It is more preferable that the area fraction of the oxide in the central portion of the auxiliary electrode is less than 5%.

[0078] The area fraction of the oxide in the supporting electrode can be calculated using SEM images. As shown in Figure 9, oxides can be clearly distinguished by the contrast between light and dark in SEM images. Therefore, the area fraction can be calculated using the contrast between light and dark using an image analysis program. For more accurate analysis, the area fraction can be measured by analyzing the scanned image using SEM-EDS.

[0079] On the other hand, the area fraction of the oxide at the ends of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the third direction may be less than 10%. Moreover, unlike the auxiliary electrodes 121d and 122d, the internal electrodes 121 and 122 may not have oxidized regions at their ends in the third direction. Here, the ends of the internal electrodes in the third direction may refer to the first and last regions when the internal electrode is divided into five equal parts in the third direction. It is more preferable that the area fraction of the oxide at the ends of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 in the third direction is less than 5%.

[0080] The conductive metal contained in the auxiliary electrodes 121d, 122d may be one or more of Ni, Cu, Pd, Ag, Au, Pt, In, Sn, Al, Ti, and alloys thereof, but the present invention is not limited thereto. However, to easily form the auxiliary electrodes 121d, 122d and the internal electrodes 121, 122 in a single printing process, the auxiliary electrodes 121d, 122d may contain the same conductive metal as the conductive metal contained in the internal electrodes 121, 122. For example, the auxiliary electrodes 121d, 122d may contain Ni, and the oxide contained in the auxiliary electrodes 121d, 122d may be Ni oxide.

[0081] In one embodiment, the internal electrodes 121, 122 may include a first internal electrode 121 spaced apart from the fourth surface and connected to the third surface, and a second internal electrode 122 spaced apart from the third surface and connected to the fourth surface, and the auxiliary electrodes 121d, 122d may include a first auxiliary electrode 121d arranged on both sides of the first internal electrode in the third direction, and a second auxiliary electrode 122d arranged on both sides of the second internal electrode in the third direction.

[0082] Accordingly, similar to the first internal electrode 121 and the second internal electrode 122, the first auxiliary electrodes 121d and the second auxiliary electrodes 122d are alternately arranged in the first direction with the dielectric layer 111 interposed therebetween.

[0083] In one embodiment, a first auxiliary electrode 121d may be spaced apart from the fourth surface and connected to the third surface, and a second auxiliary electrode 122d may be spaced apart from the third surface and connected to the fourth surface.

[0084] Accordingly, the first auxiliary electrode 121d is connected to the first external electrode 131, and the second auxiliary electrode 122d is connected to the second external electrode 132, and the first and second auxiliary electrodes 121d, 122d can form auxiliary capacitance forming portions Ad1, Ad2 that contribute to the formation of capacitance. Therefore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, since the multilayer electronic component 100 includes the auxiliary capacitance forming portions Ad1, Ad2, the capacitance per unit volume of the multilayer electronic component 100 can be improved.

[0085] In one embodiment, when the average width in the third direction of the region where the fifth surface and the internal electrode are separated is Wm and the average width in the third direction of the auxiliary electrode arranged in the region where the fifth surface and the internal electrode are separated is Wd, the average width in the third direction may satisfy 0.05≦Wd / Wm< 1. Here, the average width in the third direction of the region where the sixth surface and the internal electrode are separated may be substantially the same as Wm, and the average width in the third direction of the auxiliary electrode arranged between the sixth surface and the internal electrode may be substantially the same as Wd.

[0086] If Wd / Wm is 1, the auxiliary electrodes 121d and 122d are exposed from the fifth and sixth surfaces of the main body 110, reducing the moisture resistance reliability, and if Wd / Wm is less than 0.05, the effect of suppressing cracks and delamination is insufficient.

[0087] In one embodiment, when the average width in the third direction of the region where the fifth surface and the internal electrode are separated is Wm and the average width in the third direction of the region where the internal electrode and the auxiliary electrode are separated in the third direction is Wg, the relationship 0.03≦Wg / Wm may be satisfied.

[0088] If Wg / Wm is less than 0.03, there is a risk that the dummy electrodes and internal electrodes may be connected due to bleeding of the print or the like.

[0089] In one embodiment, when the average width of the internal electrodes in the third direction is Wi and the average width of the auxiliary electrodes in the third direction is Wd, the relationship 0.03≦Wd / Wi≦0.20 may be satisfied.

[0090] If Wd / Wi exceeds 0.20, the capacity per unit volume may decrease, and if it is less than 0.03, the effect of suppressing cracks and delamination may be insufficient.

[0091] Wm, Wg, Wd, and Wi may be measured at a cross section in the first and third directions cut at the center of the second direction of the main body 110, and may be measured using an SEM scan image as shown in Figure 8, and may be the average value of values measured at nine auxiliary electrodes and internal electrodes located at the center of the first direction.

[0092] Meanwhile, the method for forming the oxidized regions 121d1, 121d2, 122d1, and 122d2 containing oxide at the ends of the auxiliary electrodes 121d and 122d in the third direction is not particularly limited. However, even if the same paste as that for forming the internal electrodes 121 and 122 is used, the auxiliary electrodes 121d and 122d are located near the outer surface of the main body and are significantly affected by the sintering temperature, sintering atmosphere, heat treatment duration, and other factors. Therefore, by adjusting the sintering temperature, sintering atmosphere, heat treatment duration, and other factors, the oxidized regions 121d1, 121d2, 122d1, and 122d2 can be formed, and their lengths can be adjusted.

[0093] The external electrodes 131 , 132 may be disposed on the third and fourth surfaces 3 , 4 of the body 110 .

[0094] The external electrodes 131, 132 may include first and second external electrodes 131, 132 disposed on the third surface 3 and the fourth surface 4 of the body 110, respectively, and connected to the first and second internal electrodes 121, 122, respectively.

[0095] In this embodiment, the multilayer electronic component 100 has a structure having two external electrodes 131 and 132, but the number and shape of the external electrodes 131 and 132 can be changed depending on the shape of the internal electrodes 121 and 122 and other purposes.

[0096] Meanwhile, the external electrodes 131 and 132 may be formed using any material that has electrical conductivity, such as a metal, and the specific material may be determined taking into consideration electrical properties, structural stability, etc., and may further have a multi-layer structure.

[0097] For example, the external electrodes 131 and 132 may include electrode layers 131a and 132a disposed on the main body 110 and plating layers 131b and 132b formed on the electrode layers 131a and 132a.

[0098] As a more specific example of the electrode layers 131a and 132a, the electrode layers 131a and 132a may be fired electrodes containing a conductive metal and glass, or resin-based electrodes containing a conductive metal and resin.

[0099] The electrode layers 131a and 132a may be formed by sequentially forming a fired electrode and a resin-based electrode on the main body. The electrode layers 131a and 132a may be formed by transferring a sheet containing a conductive metal onto the main body, or by transferring a sheet containing a conductive metal onto a fired electrode.

[0100] The conductive metal contained in the electrode layers 131a and 132a may be any material with excellent electrical conductivity, but is not particularly limited to such a material. For example, the conductive metal may be one or more of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and alloys thereof.

[0101] The plating layers 131b and 132b serve to improve mounting characteristics. The type of the plating layers 131b and 132b is not particularly limited, and may be a plating layer containing one or more of Ni, Sn, Pd, and alloys thereof, or may be composed of multiple layers.

[0102] More specifically, the plating layers 131b and 132b may be Ni or Sn plating layers, or may be formed by sequentially forming a Ni and Sn plating layer on the electrode layers 131a and 132a, or may be formed by sequentially forming a Sn, Ni, and Sn plating layer. The plating layers 131b and 132b may include multiple Ni and / or Sn plating layers.

[0103] The size of the multilayer electronic component 100 does not need to be particularly limited.

[0104] However, in a multilayer electronic component 100 having a size of 1608 (length×width, 1.6 mm×0.8 mm) or less, the effects of the present invention, such as improved reliability and suppression of cracks and delamination, become more pronounced.

[0105] Considering manufacturing tolerances, the size of the external electrodes, etc., the effects of improving reliability and capacitance per unit volume according to the present invention are more pronounced when the length of the multilayer electronic component 100 is 1.7 mm or less and the width is 0.9 mm or less. Here, the length of the multilayer electronic component 100 may refer to the maximum size of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the second direction, and the width of the multilayer electronic component 100 may refer to the maximum size of the multilayer electronic component 100 in the third direction.

[0106] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the accompanying drawings, but is defined by the appended claims. Therefore, various substitutions, modifications, and changes may be made by a person skilled in the art without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention as set forth in the claims, and these also fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0107] It should be noted that the expression "one embodiment" used in the present invention does not mean the same embodiment, but is provided to emphasize and describe each unique feature that is different from the others. However, the above-described one embodiment does not exclude being realized in combination with features of another embodiment. For example, even if a feature described in one embodiment is not described in another embodiment, it can be understood as a description of another embodiment unless there is a contrary or contradictory description of the feature in the other embodiment.

[0108] The terms used in the present invention are merely used to describe one embodiment and are not intended to limit the present invention. Here, singular expressions include plural expressions unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 100 Multilayer electronic components 110 Main Unit 111 Dielectric layer 112, 113 Cover 114, 115 Margin 121, 122 Internal electrode 121d, 122d auxiliary electrode 131, 132 External electrode 131a, 132a electrode layer 131b, 132b plating layer

Claims

1. a first surface and a second surface facing each other in a first direction, a third surface and a fourth surface connected to the first surface and the second surface and facing each other in a second direction, and a fifth surface and a sixth surface connected to the first surface to the fourth surface and facing each other in a third direction, a main body including dielectric layers, internal electrodes alternately arranged with the dielectric layers in the first direction, and auxiliary electrodes spaced apart from the internal electrodes and arranged on both sides of the internal electrodes in a third direction; an external electrode disposed on the body; The auxiliary electrode includes an oxidized region containing an oxide at an end portion in a third direction.

2. 2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein, when an average width of the auxiliary electrode in the third direction is Wd and an average width of the oxidized region in the third direction is Wo, 0.09≦Wo / Wd≦0.5 is satisfied.

3. 3. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 2, wherein Wd is 0.1 μm or more and 100 μm or less.

4. 2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the oxidized region is disposed at both one end and the other end of the auxiliary electrode in the third direction.

5. 2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein an area ratio of the oxide in the supporting electrode is 10% or more and 40% or less.

6. 2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary electrode contains Ni, and the oxide is a Ni oxide.

7. the internal electrodes include a first internal electrode spaced apart from the fourth surface and connected to the third surface, and a second internal electrode spaced apart from the third surface and connected to the fourth surface; 2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary electrodes include first auxiliary electrodes arranged on both sides of the first internal electrode in the third direction, and second auxiliary electrodes arranged on both sides of the second internal electrode in the third direction.

8. the first auxiliary electrode is spaced from the fourth surface and connected to the third surface; The multilayer electronic component according to claim 7 , wherein the second auxiliary electrode is spaced apart from the third surface and connected to the fourth surface.

9. 2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein, when an average width in the third direction of a region where the fifth surface and the internal electrode are separated from each other is Wm, and an average width in the third direction of the auxiliary electrode is Wd, 0.05≦Wd / Wm<1 is satisfied.

10. 2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein, when an average width in the third direction of a region where the fifth surface and the internal electrode are separated from each other is Wm, and an average width in the third direction of a region where the internal electrode and the auxiliary electrode are separated from each other in the third direction is Wg, a relationship of 0.03≦Wg / Wm is satisfied.

11. 2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein, when an average width of the internal electrodes in the third direction is Wi and an average width of the auxiliary electrodes in the third direction is Wd, 0.03≦Wd / Wi≦0.20 is satisfied.

12. 2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein the area ratio of the oxide in the central portion of the auxiliary electrode is less than 10%.

13. 2. The multilayer electronic component according to claim 1, wherein an area ratio of the oxide to both ends of the internal electrodes in the third direction is less than 10%.

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